FARC?

[Dros]

What is FARC's politics? I know they are "communist" but they are associated with the former Comintern, revisionist Colombian Communist Party. Is the Farc legit communist or are they an army that is just trying to get power?

[bootleg42]

Originally posted by [email protected] 03, 2007 10:16 pm
What is FARC's politics? I know they are "communist" but they are associated with the former Comintern, revisionist Colombian Communist Party. Is the Farc legit communist or are they an army that is just trying to get power?
I don't think they're on good terms with the current communist party of colombia.

They call themselves Marxist-Leninists.....I think now they just want to get rid of all these conservative governments that have been ruling the country for decades.

I've heard BOTH good and bad from them so I can't really tell you.

[manic expression]

I don't know any specifics, but I doubt they were aligned with Moscow (what you would call "revisionist"), because when they started their armed activities, Moscow was certainly not promoting such tactics. Just a guess, but I can't see FARC being a Moscow line party.

However, they don't claim to be "anti-revisionist" (Maoist, etc.), either. Another guess here, but I think that a lot of communist movements in Latin America were isolated from that whole issue (the Stalinist meltdown) and so perhaps it never came up.

[Colombia]

Originally posted by [email protected] 03, 2007 10:16 pm
What is FARC's politics? I know they are "communist" but they are associated with the former Comintern, revisionist Colombian Communist Party. Is the Farc legit communist or are they an army that is just trying to get power?
I doubt they can be called hardline communists anymore since the collapse of the Eastern bloc. They still advocate a lot of left wing politics but they are being reasonable you know? Like a lot of things Chavez is doing, is exactly what the FARC would be doing if they ever took power.

It is hard to talk about FARC's politics since they only control extremely rural areas completely and even that is being contested all the time.

[metalero]

Originally posted by manic [email protected] 03, 2007 06:37 pm
Another guess here, but I think that a lot of communist movements in Latin America were isolated from that whole issue (the Stalinist meltdown) and so perhaps it never came up.
This is thruth, despite FARC origins in the Colombian Communist Party, influenced by soviet burocracy at the time. Today, as Colombia put it, FARC hold a marxist line with a bit of bolivarian thought.

[Red October]

FARC is a mixed bag...there's a lot of negative and positive propaganda out there so it can be hard to get to the truth about it. A lot of people have major issues with the supposed involvement of FARC in the coca industry, and the American government and media has made a big deal about it, and they act like FARC is basically a drug cartel. It's also officially classified as a terrorist group by the European Union and America, so you can't legally do much in support of it.

[RedKnight]

Farc kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt, who was a Green presidential candidate. http://www.greens.org/ingrid/free_ingrid.htm If they were only targeting rightists it would be one thing, but to take hostage a broadly Left-wing politician is just plain uncalled for.

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by [email protected] 05, 2007 03:09 am
Farc kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt, who was a Green presidential candidate. http://www.greens.org/ingrid/free_ingrid.htm If they were only targeting rightists it would be one thing, but to take hostage a broadly Left-wing politician is just plain uncalled for.
They haven't taken a left wing hostage yet, then (unless the Greens there are are radically different from the rest I've met).

[metalero]

and much less Ingrid betancourt, a centrist from the colombian elite. However, prominent FARC members such as Simon Trinidad have recognized they're paying too high a political price for using kidnapping as a political tool.

[Burrito]

However, prominent FARC members such as Simon Trinidad have recognized they're paying too high a political price for using kidnapping as a political tool.

Source?

[Wanted Man]

Originally posted by [email protected] 05, 2007 04:09 am
Farc kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt, who was a Green presidential candidate. http://www.greens.org/ingrid/free_ingrid.htm If they were only targeting rightists it would be one thing, but to take hostage a broadly Left-wing politician is just plain uncalled for.
Why?

[metalero]

Originally posted by [email protected] 05, 2007 02:19 am

However, prominent FARC members such as Simon Trinidad have recognized they're paying too high a political price for using kidnapping as a political tool.

Source?
at his trial in U.S he said so (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Trinidad#Witnesses): His testimony was considered unusual for many observers due to the nature of this case. He alleged that his reasons to join the FARC included the assassination of many of his Patriotic Union Party colleagues and the persecution against them by paramilitary militias and Colombian Drug Cartels. He admitted the use of kidnappings by the FARC and said that the organization was paying too high a political cost for this practice. He also admitted his role as spokesperson of the organization during the peace process with the government of President Pastrana

Also, from colombian magazine SEMANA (in spanish), article (http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=98162http://) on the trial on what he said:
Nevertheless, the prosecutors were surprised when, in spite of recognizing that "in every war there are prisoners", he stated was in discord with the practice of kidnapping "because of the high political cost that it has for the FARC"

[RedKnight]

Originally posted by Van Binsbergen+December 05, 2007 03:07 pm--> (Van Binsbergen @ December 05, 2007 03:07 pm)
[email protected] 05, 2007 04:09 am
Farc kidnapped Ingrid Betancourt, who was a Green presidential candidate. http://www.greens.org/ingrid/free_ingrid.htm If they were only targeting rightists it would be one thing, but to take hostage a broadly Left-wing politician is just plain uncalled for.
Why? [/b]
For the self evident reason that it is criminal extortion, which serves no strategic purpose. Civilians should not be deliberately targeted by armed force, otherwise it is terroristic in nature.

[OneBrickOneVoice]

Kidnapping bourgeois politicians is a fine tactic. These are oppressors of the people. They attempt to implement neoliberal policies kicking the people off their land and impoverishing the masses taking away any social benefits won. If FARC can raise money to arm the people by taking these oppressors hostage, then why not?

FARC isn't a "narco-terrorist" organization. It taxes coca farmers. The Colombian government does the exact same thing as a matter of fact.

FARC is Marxist-Leninist. Read their statemetns they're revolutionary

[Guerrilla22]

I don't think they're on good terms with the current communist party of colombia.

FARC was formed by the communist party of Colombia.